The present invention relates in general to beverage containers, and in particular to a new and useful arrangement for resealing a beverage container such as a carbonated soda can.
Aluminum cans have been used to contain carbonated, pressurized soda, beer or other pressurized beverages as well as non-carbonated drinks for many years. Initially, the cans were opened using a can opener which cut a triangular hole into the upper surface of the can near its rim. Later, tab openers were developed which included a tab connected to a portion of the can cover, surrounded by a weakening. The tab was pulled to dislodge the portion, thus exposing an opening. Tabs were discarded and posed a litter problem. The technology developed further to produce attached tabs which were used as levers to rupture a peripheral weakening and push a section of the can top down into the can. The tab ripped away a portion of the can top and permanently attached itself to the can so that the can with its tab and top could be discarded or recycled as a unit.
Although such cans are normally thought of as single-use products, various devices have been developed to re-close the can to allow it to be re-used at some future time. These devices generally failed to reseal the can and preserve carbonization. Some merely re-close the can opening to avoid contamination. A typical example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,525 to Tucker.
One other example of the prior art is illustrated in FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 11, an aluminum can 100 includes an aluminum top 102 which is connected to a sidewall of the can through an upstanding rim 108, having an inner surface 110 and an outer bead 112. The prior art re-closing device comprises a main cap 120 made of durable plastic and having a central opening 122 with a thread 124 that can receive a secondary cap (not shown). Main cap 120 includes, at one side thereof, a fixed hook 126 which engages under the bead 112. A rotatable hook member 128 has a central opening 130 mounted for rotation around a central stem in the main cap 120 which contains the central opening 122. Hook member 128 includes a hook portion 132 which engages under bead 112 at a location opposite from the hook portion 126. To engage the prior art device, hook member 128 is pivoted around the axis of the cap as shown by the curved arrow X, to bring the hook portion 132 of the hook member 128 around and close to the hook portion 126 of the main cap 120. This permits both hooks to engage under the bead 112. The hook member 128 is then rotated to swing hook member 132 to the opposite side of the can, thus engaging the opposite sides of the bead 112 and fixing the main cap to the can. To help preserve the pressure in the can, a resilient seal 136, having an L-shaped cross section was fixed below main cap 120 and pressed down against the upper surface of can top 102.
Several problems were experienced by the prior art structure. Firstly, the hooks 126, 132 tended to disengage from the rim after some pressure had built up, thus raising the cap off the can. Secondly, if the hook did not disengage rapidly as in the first case, the pressure in the can tended to leak past the seal 136 anyway. The construction and position of the main cap and seal tended to "fight" the gas pressure in the can and generally lost the battle.
In addition, although the mechanism is clever, the way to use hook number 128 is not visually obvious, thus requiring specific instructions to operate the device.
A need remains for a simple and effective mechanism for resealing a carbonated beverage container.